La Russa Gives Pass to Steroids Users

So would you call Tony La Russa an enabler? La Russa was the A’s manager back in their heyday when they had the Bash Brothers — McGwire and Jose Canseco. Doesn’t get much more roidier than that, unless you’re talking about the late 90s Rangers or something. Well Tony talked to the St. Louis Post Dispatch and passed along his thoughts on guys like McGwire, Clemens, and the looming speculation that both used performance-enhancing drugs:

La Russa maintained that both of them deserve a pass. “There’s a certain amount of credit that should be given to a guy who’s worked hours and hours to get stronger and bigger,” he said.
…
“Wait a minute, Tony. You still don’t believe McGwire used performance-enhancing drugs?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Come on.”

“Absolutely not,” he said. “If you see Mark today, he still looks like he did then.”

Yes, I agree that a lot of credit has to be given to guys who work their butts off and who care about getting better, but you don’t have to cheat to do so. Also, let’s not forget that these drugs are intended to make you recover quicker and workout longer and harder — they provide advantages. I’m guessing Tony just doesn’t care about that. He’s in a precarious position — he needs his players to perform otherwise he’s out of a job. And what’s he supposed to do if he sees his guys working out and working hard, tell them to take it easy? I’m not sure what the proper way is to handle the situation, but I do know one thing: Tony La Russa is the ultimate player’s manager. Look at it — he’s still backing Big Mac when nobody else is.